# Wierd Cigar Swelling



## Hammerhead (Sep 7, 2005)

Ok, get your minds out of the gutter.  

Here's the story. I notice while smoking some cigars that as they burn, they tend to swell about 1"-2" beyond the burn, and crack the wrapper. In some cases, it's been severe. What causes this, and is there a way it can be prevented?

I keep my cigars at 65% with Viper's beads. I haven't been able to track down any consistency as to whether it happens by brand, size, or country of origin. The two recently that I've had it happen to were a RyJ (red label) Churchill which was in my humi for about 2 months, and a Maria Guerrero Toro just smoked tonight that I bought a couple weeks ago.

Thanks in advance!


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## Xmodius (Jun 21, 2005)

It's all about the water content.

(Please disregard this post.)


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## Ivory Tower (Nov 18, 2005)

First, where are the 'gars stored? Your humidification level may be different than the hygrometer reads if the hygrometer needs calibration. 

A good site to check is stogiefresh.com, which has some info on cigar storage and rates cigars that have been stored in different conditions.


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## Jkbd33 (Jun 22, 2005)

I'm going to go out of my way and say that maybe some how gases and smoke are building up in the stick and causing to expand until the wrapper cracks and it releases the build up. I'm using the popcorn method theory on this.


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## DownUnder LLG (Mar 29, 2005)

Hammerhead said:


> Ok, get your minds out of the gutter.


Bugger, I had a line for this straight up as soon as I saw the title of the thread.
Party Pooper.........  j/k

Hey, now there's a user title


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## ComicBookFreak (Sep 7, 2005)

Xmodius said:


> It's all about the water content.


 This would be my Guess also

CBF


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## steve12553 (Sep 25, 2005)

I've had that on on a few cheapies but never knew why or saw any constistency.


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## ShawnP (Oct 18, 2005)

I have never had this problem. Are you 100% sure your hydrometer is calibrated correctly?

The only reason I could see would be very wet cigars. If a cigar is to dry it shrinks , if overly hydrated it swells.

If not that, then it is just flat out weird.


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## Hammerhead (Sep 7, 2005)

Well, I don't think it's about storage. I have 'em in a Reed & Barton Biltmore and a Western Cal III salt tested to 1% accuracy, and a boatload of Viper's 65% beads.

I had one possibile explanation come to mind, but I don't know if it's scientifically plausible.

Is it possible that maybe, because I keep mine stored in the cello, that they were perhaps overhumidified in their prior environment and didn't yet have a chance to adjust themselves to the lower RH in my humidor?

I was thinking that a different RH gradient on the outside of the 'gar than the inside would cause the filler to expand at a greater rate than the binder/wrapper while smoking.

I guess I'll just have to keep tabs on which 'gars it's happening to, so I can spot any consistency.


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## ShawnP (Oct 18, 2005)

Hammerhead said:


> Well, I don't think it's about storage. I have 'em in a Reed & Barton Biltmore and a Western Cal III salt tested to 1% accuracy, and a boatload of Viper's 65% beads.
> 
> I had one possibile explanation come to mind, but I don't know if it's scientifically plausible.
> 
> ...


I guess that is possible but isn't the cello suppossed to breath? If it does I would think that they shouldn't hold any extra humidity then a naked cigar. Well maybe a little but not enough to expand or swell. Maybe they were mistreated smokes before you got your hands on them and when put in the proper humidor they reacted in a manner to which they seemed to swell compared to when you bought them??? I'm grasping LOL

Wish you luck with finding out what is going on.

Keep us posted and I will keep an eye out to see if I ever have this happen to one.


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## awhitaker (Sep 23, 2005)

This has happened with a box of Carlos Toranos I have. They came with one of those humidpacks in the box which I think overhumidified them and slowly but surely over the past 5-7 weeks they've stopped cracking when I smoke them. I think they've taken longer to dehumidify b/c they're in the closed box which also happens to be varnished resulting in less breathing than a non-varnished box or a cigar that isn't in a box at all. 

My whole hypothesis the time it takes a cigar to adjust to the Rh in a humidor is based on how many barriers between the cigar and the humidors air. Barriers as in cello, boxes, varnish, etc.


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## xrundog (Oct 10, 2005)

Hammerhead said:


> Is it possible that maybe, because I keep mine stored in the cello, that they were perhaps overhumidified in their prior environment and didn't yet have a chance to adjust themselves to the lower RH in my humidor?
> 
> I was thinking that a different RH gradient on the outside of the 'gar than the inside would cause the filler to expand at a greater rate than the binder/wrapper while smoking.


Cello breaths. But not much. I think you have it nailed. So you can either go cello off, or let cello'ed cigars rest for a good long time. Like a year.


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## kenstogie (Jun 14, 2005)

Some excellent observations/theories by the LLG's 
Sounds like the celo on theory may be the reason to me. It sounds logical. This has happened to me but not with any degree of consistancy as another mentioned. Someone in the jungle said he would clip the end of his cigar celo's and I agree. Additionally I will clip a little on the cap to alow for a more complete air flow. A thought too if you're RH drops the inside portion of the cigar will be least affected and retain the most moisture which in turn would cause the h2o to expand/vaporize causing the swelling on the inside.


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## dadof3illinois (Nov 7, 2004)

Hammerhead said:


> Well, I don't think it's about storage. I have 'em in a Reed & Barton Biltmore and a Western Cal III salt tested to 1% accuracy, and a boatload of Viper's 65% beads.
> 
> I had one possibile explanation come to mind, but I don't know if it's scientifically plausible.
> 
> ...


This is what I think, so take it with a grain of salt.

It seems to me your cigars were over humidified when you got them. According to how over humidified they are would determin how long it would take for them to get down to the proper smoking rh your looking for.
What happens to water when you heat it up??? It expands, turns to steam right? So we end up with split cigars.
Anything that I bought from the vendor you got these smokes from I would set aside for several months and make sure they are at the proper rh before smoking again.

One question, do the bands move around and seem loose or are the tight around the cigar?


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## CrazyFool (Oct 2, 2005)

this happened to me!

My humidoor was a desktop, with more looks then purpose as you could see light through both seems in the door! So though i was at 69% i had to over compensate for the 'leak' with lots of humi gels and devices. the cigars all bloated and cracked. So i down sized back to my old Savoy, retired about 3 gel tubes and havnt had the problem again.


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## RenoB (Oct 12, 2005)

Here's an interesting theory.

I was at a Drew Estate tasting at a local B&M. The rep was handing out mostly Acid. I opted for a leather patch. 

As I browsed the store smoking I noticed a lot of other patrons spending a lot of time tending their Acid sticks. They were running badly and many were expanding to the point it looked like they had blown up.

During a later visit to the store, I mentioned to the owner that I would have been embarrassed if I were the Drew Estate rep and wondered outloud why that condition would have been so prevalent. 

He's pretty well traveled and his reply was that cigars will swell if the tobacco isn't properly cured. In this case, the Acid being a newer line and being treated with their "herbal infusion" during cure time was the likely culprit.

So it makes sense that this could happen to a whole box of any smokes. Many of us may experience it on single smokes and wonder if its our own storage technique because we don't know how the rest of the cigars in that box are treating their new owners.

Just my :2


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## Hammerhead (Sep 7, 2005)

Thanks to all.

I think I'm inclining toward the Rh/Cello/Time theory for now. I keep my humi at 65%, and most stores are at 70. That means if there isn't enough time to sit, you'll have a cigar that has a (relatively speaking) dry binder/wrapper around a damper filler.

I'll definitely keep an eye on whether it happens again, and to which smokes.


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## herfdork (Jul 7, 2004)

My cigars swell when the get sucked on...


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## Hammerhead (Sep 7, 2005)

herfdork said:


> My cigars swell when the get sucked on...


*sigh*

There's one in every crowd.


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## dadof3illinois (Nov 7, 2004)

Hammerhead said:


> Thanks to all.
> 
> I think I'm inclining toward the Rh/Cello/Time theory for now. I keep my humi at 65%, and most stores are at 70. That means if there isn't enough time to sit, you'll have a cigar that has a (relatively speaking) dry binder/wrapper around a damper filler.
> 
> I'll definitely keep an eye on whether it happens again, and to which smokes.


Hammer, I've had this happen to both (cello/non cello). I have a feeling your B&M keeps their sticks way above 70rh. Ask them what they keep their humi at the next time your shopping, they should be able to tell you. It also could be that the cigars they receive have been over humidified from the distributor they use. Just some questions you might ask. I know both the B&M's I use keep their sticks well above 70rh, so I usually keep them for a couple months below 70 before I smoke them.


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## CrazyFool (Oct 2, 2005)

Hammerhead said:


> *sigh*
> 
> There's one in every crowd.


hey i can appricate anyone rolling the dice for a smile, nothing wrong with a little 'potty talk' :2


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## FpDoc77 (Nov 30, 2005)

I have a little chemistry background so I will venture a mere guess. I have had this problem also in the past. I do think cigars that are more immature and overhumidified have a greater possibility of cracking and swelling. But all cigars build tars at the end of the smoke. Also agressive smokers that take huge puffs bring more ventilation into the end of the cigar. More puffing the more air that seperates the tobacco. That combined with the wrapper peel/slide, the water build up and the way you smoke might play a role. Put them all together and you might have an answer. Try ur humi closer to 70%...do what you can not to crack your wrapper when taking it off. If you are an aggressive smoker (handling...try not to squeeze with mouth nor hand), watching ur humidity and sticking to well kept well aged cigars might help. Of course this is a mere guess by a semi-experienced smoker.


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## punch (Mar 5, 2005)

xrundog said:


> Cello breaths. But not much. I think you have it nailed. So you can either go cello off, or let cello'ed cigars rest for a good long time. Like a year.


I had some Opus X cigars sent to me where the person sending them clipped the end of the cello and left the foot of the cigar exposed. I thought that this was a good idea since it lets more air around the cigar, yet still gives the wrapper some protection. Kind of like taking the caps off of the tubos and letting them rest in the humidore. I have done this with all of my cigars since then and find that they stabilize much more quickly. For me, this has been a good alternative to removing the cello and storing the cigars naked.


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## CoventryCat86 (Oct 14, 2004)

FpDoc77 said:


> I have a little chemistry background so I will venture a mere guess. I have had this problem also in the past. I do think cigars that are more immature and overhumidified have a greater possibility of cracking and swelling. But all cigars build tars at the end of the smoke. Also agressive smokers that take huge puffs bring more ventilation into the end of the cigar. More puffing the more air that seperates the tobacco. That combined with the wrapper peel/slide, the water build up and the way you smoke might play a role. Put them all together and you might have an answer. Try ur humi closer to 70%...do what you can not to crack your wrapper when taking it off. If you are an aggressive smoker (handling...try not to squeeze with mouth nor hand), watching ur humidity and sticking to well kept well aged cigars might help. Of course this is a mere guess by a semi-experienced smoker.


You gotta be kidding me! He says he stores the cigars at 65% RH, he's experiencing problems due to the cigars being too wet and you're telling him to store them at a HIGHER humidity?

That's not very good advice........


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## Hammerhead (Sep 7, 2005)

CoventryCat86 said:


> You gotta be kidding me! He says he stores the cigars at 65% RH, he's experiencing problems due to the cigars being too wet and you're telling him to store them at a HIGHER humidity?
> 
> That's not very good advice........


Methinks you ought to go back and read the posts again.


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